Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-10
a CUBAN BULL FIGHT.
Typical Amusement of Our Island
Neighbors South.


Especial Correspondence.
GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla, April %.
aWould we go to the bull fght|
We were doing" Cuba, and the question
was asked by Senior Pedro Maseda, our court
cons host in Havana. OF course we answered
YES, for all American visitors go "just once
and sometimes, 1 suspect, the "once" IS re-
peated several times.
Just then all Cuba was wild over new
star in the bull ring, Mazzantini by name, a
/ Spaniard who had come from Madrid to I'LL
an engagement for fourteen performances,
| for which his compensation was the paltry
sum of $4,000, and the entire expenses OF
/ himself and his large company paid besides,
/ by the management.
1 Our tickets were procured for us by our
attentive host, on the shady side of the arena,
and cost us eight dollars each. For the sunny
side they would have been much less. Thus
provided, we were driven in cab every
body rides in Havana) to the Plaza de Toros,
where the national sport is witnessed. A
large circular building incloses an amphi-
theatre capable of seating upward Of 2O0OO
people. The bull ring itself is in the center,
ard is surrounded by fence which separates
it from the seats. Between the latter and the
fence is an open space where the bull fighters
retreat when too closely pressed by the
naddened animals. Occasionally the bull
goes over the fence too, but there are pass
ageways for the escape of the men in such
case, and the bull is driven back into the
ring
What a sight meets our gaze as we take
our seats! A great sea Of faces is before
US Fair senoritas, gay cavaliers, grave
seniors, stout duennas youth and beauty,
wealth and rank. all are represented here.
Thousands of sparkling eyes and bewitching,
smiling faces tell us that this is gala day.
But see! A horseman gallops into the
arena and advancing to the presidents box
asks for the key. This is thrown to him and
dexterously caught, and then he admits
the company. This is a pageant long
TO be remembered. There is great
blast of trumpets, and in through
doorway march matadors and BAN
derilleros and picadors, some ON horse
back, some OH foot, but all richly clad in the
ncst brilliant and picturesque costumes of
silk tinsel and gold. How proud and stately
they look as they march around the arena!
Here is skill, power and bravery, the ponp
and splendor and all the stately grandeur of
the old days of chivalry.
Now 10000 eyes are turned expectantly
toward the strong doors under the music
stand, and presently they are thrown open,
and in bounds bull What a magnificent
animal! He is blooded stock, bred for the
especial purpose, and as he dashes into the
arena a steel barb is fastened to his shoulder
on which are different colored ribbons-his
breeders coiors. How sleek he is, and well fed,
q
Kept Tor some hours in dark place the light
cuugTSes him, and he is for moment blind
and dazed. Then surprise gives place to rage.
i-e snOrts and paws the ground, shaking
fiercely his shaggy head. Now he catches
sight of a picadOr and rushes madly after
him. But the bull fighter springs nimbly
over the fence, and the bull brings up against
il hafEled and more enraged than ever. Then
he spies another picador, and drives him also
oyer the barrier.
All this time the vast audience has been
working itself up into frenzy of excitement.
Every man shouts until he is hoarse and ges-
ticulates with the vehemence of mailman
The ladies wave their handkerchief or fans,
and vie with the men in making themselves
heard. 1t is pandemonium let loose No one
minds his neighbor. His eyes, his thoughts,
his whole being is conferred on the contest of
the arena He imagines himself one of the
contestants, and cheers, scolds, laughs, objur-
gates-all i'll breath and like one possessed.
And we! Well, when one is in Rome he
must be like the Romans You would have
shouted yourself had you been there
But the bull now discovers horseman,
and makes break for him. The picador
extends his lance, but the headlong rush of
the bull is too much for him, and he cannot
keep him off. The poor blindfolded horse is
struck full on the flank, and goes down fear
fully mangled by the bulls horns The plea |
dor quickly disengages himself, while the
other fighters attract the bulls attention by |
hinging their cloaks before his eyes, and the /
dead or dying horse is dragged from the /
arena.
Now follows something not quite so cruel |
and requiring far more skill and bravery,
the thlllsting Of the banderillos. These are |
wires thirty inches long, covered with gayly |
colOred ribbons, and ending in a sharp, |
barlIed point. The banderillero advances |
with one of these in each hand, and the bull |
makes a dash for him. See the banderillero |
now! He stands perfectly still awaiting the |
bulls assault. He has neither cloak nor flag
to distract the mad beast; his only safety lies
iii nimbleness and cool courage. Head down,
eyes closed, on comes the bull with a rush
like the whirlwind. How will the banderil-
Zero escape his murderous horns? NY COM
pan:OH graSps my arm with little scream of
terror, and all over that vast assemblage there
comes hush as the people wait with bated
breath for the result. The suspense is pain
full, but just we think the brave fellow is
to be impaled, he springs nimbly to one side,
and with dexterous, graceful thrust plants
4 bandcriilo in either shoulder of the beast as
it rIshes by him at headlong speed What a
shout went up from that multitude of peo-
pie! II was like the rush and roar of tor
nado through the forest
As soon as the bull can check himself in his
beadlong rush he turns about and charges at
another banderillero, who plants two more
narbs i'll his shoulders, and again for the third
lime the act is repeated.
The bull is beside himself now with pain
md rage, and, snorting and believing, he
lastes madly here and there.
A signal from the president indicates that
he bull has been tortured enough and must
De killed. A bugle blast sounds and Mazzan-
lnl-the peerless, the incompatible, the idol
the arena for the final act in this
bloody drama. He will dispatch the bull
With single thrust of his keen sword See
low defiant he is, how cool and brave. He
must not finch or his life will pay the pen
'lty. Neither must he strike the bull unless
shows fight; that would be cowardice, and
he populace would hiss and shout assassin"
md coward"
But the bull is game to the last. How he
Fellows and paws the ground, and catching
light of the matador, makes a mad, wild
harge at him. The matador has a red cloth
Ii his hand which he shakes at the bull, still
more engaging him. The beast rushes at the
10th, the matador holds it to one side. and
IS the bull reaches it and it faunts in his
ace, the matadors sword sinks to the hilt in
lis shoulder The bull falls and is dis
PATCHED with stab of a dagger.
Nn-r tho ,-ncf chalroc NTH